Band members and File Hills Farm Colonists were becoming frustrated with the increasing outsider settlement on their reserve. Observing this, Graham persuaded Ottawa to pay each member of the reserve twenty dollars to sign an agreement allowing settlement on the reserve, rather than taking a vote, which was the legal way to get approval for settlement. Graham tried to avoid the concerns raised by band members about settlement on the reserve, instead circumventing the proper procedure and simply bribing members for their compliance. According to Graham, once the amount was paid out to band members, the Department would have the right to admit graduates of Industrial Schools onto the reserve without having to consult with the band.
Peepeekisis